Machine Shop Basics: Depth Micrometer Use and Calibration

[@tdg911]

Thank you sir for putting this video together. No annoying music. Clear and concise instructions.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

I'm constantly amazed by your seemingly limitless energy. You take care of your family and house. You have a job. You volunteer at a museum. You're building a new shop. You film, edit, and post videos. I am in awe.

[@jdgower1]

Thank you for making this kind of video. I'm pretty well versed in machine shop practices and tools , but I don't do it every day and sometimes I really appreciate a little refresher in the basic stuff just to feel confident in what I do.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you - glad that you find it useful!

[@tolydukhovny682]

thank you, keith, for this very good demo -- and especially for the part with the rod calibration therein. i venture to say that many young and not-so will definitely benefit from it! thank you for the video, -toly

[@VintageMachinery]

As always, Thank You my friend!

[@jaywest4102]

Always interesting content. Appreciate when you explain things that some of us might not know. Can hardly wait for next part in your lathe restoration project.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

2nd that! Good 'splaining! It's 90 to 91 here so water will be boiling there. Summer will be interesting!

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you - next lathe installment should be posted on Friday.

[@joetiller1031]

Good video Keith, thanks for showing us how to use a depth mic. you are a great teacher.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you Joe!

[@vajake1]

Very good demonstration of how to use this mic! I had never seen one calibrated before. Thanks for posting this! Bob Troxell.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@RoelTyros]

Hello Keith, Nice tutorial how to use an depth micrometer and maybe when I go to shop for new tools I will also look for a good micrometer. But the first thing I really need to buy is a tapping set. So many times screws didn't fit right because of bad threads and than a tapping set is ideal. Looking forward to the next one and thanks for the video ! Many greetings from Roel.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks - a good tap set is essential to have!

[@andyvan5692]

great video Keith, but also mechanics use this not just as a measuring device, but also in adjusting engine parts, ie measuring valve lift, to set adjusters, or to check pulley marks of valve timing, aka to 'set' top dead centre by this tool touching the pin, piston, etc, this is by using the tool to create a known reference dimention to set the system, rather than common usage, to determine an unknown dimension.

[@ChrisB257]

Most informative Keith - an excellent refresh lesson.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks Chris!

[@jimpritz4169]

Thank you Keith. I was never quite sure how to change the different length rods. Now I know.

[@VintageMachinery]

Glad to help!

[@ianbutler1983]

Thanks Keith. As with most of your videos I will probably never do this, but you often answer my "I wonder how they....." thoughts.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@skinny6523]

Awesome Job Keith, I have never used these, and did not how they worked. Thanks for sharing!! Kevin

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you!

[@brosselot1]

Very cool I got the one you just sent me. I even used it last night. Took me a minute to remember that it was backwards from a regular mic Great video

[@hettinger1000]

Good presentation on a useful subject. Thanks Keith.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks Ed!

[@rogerepps7726]

The best way to time an engine, especially if the timing marks are hard to find or nonexistent. I timed my Harley Sprint that way all the time

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Very informative and exceptionally useful tutorial. Thank you. 👏👏👍😀

[@travisshrewsbury7169]

great video Keith,feel like I just went to class

[@VintageMachinery]

I feel that way all the time....

[@garyc5483]

Thanks for sharing Keith. regards from the UK

[@VintageMachinery]

And THANK YOU for watching!

[@roylucas1027]

Great video. I have a hard time reading micrometers, this video helps.

[@thomashanson6607]

As a youngster my father (Master Machinist) would only let me use Vernier calipers for measurement. Do it 50 times a day and you get good, pretty fast. I couldn't take it anymore and went over to Ebay and put in a bid on one.

[@VintageMachinery]

Practice, practice, practice. After a while, it gets easy.

[@charliewiard6813]

Enjoyed the video as always. Working on a monarch lathe myself.

[@VintageMachinery]

I will be in that same boat soon myself. (Stayed tuned....)

[@andyvan5692]

Keith, how do you know how tight to do up the collar which assembles the rod to the barrel as this affects the calibration (aka the fit of the assembly to the barrel); as you don't mention this while callibrating the rods, as if you 'finger tighten' the rods during calibration, you MUST repeat this (like concentricity in a lathe chuck, with the same jaws in the same spots)- ie do you use the 'ratchet top' to tension this nut?, to keep consistentcy.

[@northernsky6117]

Great video. Are those rods always the same in width in general?

[@josephmagedanz4070]

Thanks for the informative video, Keith. Will this be a new series? If so, you will probably get many requests for episodes. Thanks again for taking the time to do this. Joe

[@VintageMachinery]

I have done a few "Machine Shop Basics" videos before, but it has been a while. Not sure if I want to focus on this format or not, but I will probably continue to use it from time to time.

[@josephmagedanz4070]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org Something with adjustable reamers would be great.

[@bobrees4363]

Thanks for bringing back some memories of when I was riding Tincans. Each 5"/54 had a Starrett 0-12" depth mike as one of the "Special Tools" required. We didn't use them much, but the quality and precision was appreciated.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@iammiss1009]

Thank you for making this video

[@williamrekow7513]

I guess I'm getting here a little late, but I just picked up a Brown and Sharpe 1/2" depth micrometer with an adjustable rod. Shows a patent date of 1898, so not new. It has half inch graduations, but they don't quite line up dead on with the thimble at zero. Tip is chamfered, and when you feel the graduation catch inside at zero, the edge of the chamber is dead zero with the base. I can set it to use it with a standard, but they probably had a different intent with the lines. Haven't quite got it figured out, but I can at least use it.

[@jacencko011]

Someone may of tried to adjust the mic like you’d adjust an outside micrometer or just rotated the sleeve accidentally? If you wanna fix it you should try this: - Unscrew the ratchet - Remove the rod - Unscrew the thimble and you’ll find a collet. - Loosen the collet and that will allow you to rotate the sleeve. - Put it back together and you’ll most likely need to adjust the rod to zero it out. Hope that helps even though this is a year later lol

[@iammiss1009]

I actually can use one but I didn’t know you could buy some that changes sizes that’s awesome.

[@Alpha1545]

Thank you Mr. Rucker for the lesson. I wanted to ask you a question that was from a previous video. This is about the lathe you bought. You demonstrated how over time that the table gets worn out on both axis as much as 10 thousands in your case. I guess what I was wondering is on a brand new machine how much is acceptable? I know it can't be perfect but what would be a typical measurement? Thanks again for your videos

[@VintageMachinery]

A brand new machine should be pretty darn close to perfect when set up level. I would say that I would expect it to be less than 0.001 or 0.002".

[@machinesmotorcycles5511]

Nice brown &sharp depth micrometer set , I have the same set .

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@trader025]

Wow excellent info Keith thanks!

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you, my pleasure!

[@metalmill52]

Thanks, this was very helpful!

[@davidsmart8594]

Mmm! High School Engineering revisited... That brought back memories (some I wasn't clear on). A good re-cap. Thank you.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks for watching!

[@aravindhrajeev8655]

Sir can you share a short note about depth micrometer.. Iam un search for taking aa seminar

[@alexgonzalez4815]

thanks for the Video .

[@Mollyz1117]

Thank you!

[@brettcitrowske7929]

Consistently good video's, good work.

[@kenzpenz]

Great video as usual. Would you do a video on the Vernier caliper. I just had to have one, so I bought on Ebay and it sure is a challenge to understand. Knowing how to use this caliper just might justify buying it : ) . My caliper is a L.S. Starrett 50 division. Now, I guess I need to buy a depth mic and practice what I have learned here. Thanks so much for another great video. Ken ...Marina CA

[@VintageMachinery]

I will see what I can do. I think I only have one vernier caliper - a Starrett 24". I can't remember if I showed how to read it when I got that one or not.

[@MattsMotorz]

Great video. I have that same depth micrometer (not the brown and sharpe one) Except mine has 5 rods. I forget who makes it.

[@VintageMachinery]

Mine is made by Tumico (Tubular Micrometer Company).

[@rickbrandt9559]

still that smooth delivery.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@CarpinteroJesus]

Thank you for your help very good

[@QuantumMind88]

Any idea where you can get a replacement base for that depth micrometer or any one for that matter? There is a nice Mitutoyo Depth Micrometer set at one of my local thrift stores for $20, but the micrometer base is pretty badly pitted.

[@VintageMachinery]

Probably best to just pass and find a different one somewhere. You can get some good deals on ebay if you are patient.

[@felixdietzCGN]

How do you calibrate the longer rods? By pre-measuring a Gauge block with the 1-inch-rod and then moving up from there?

[@ratdude747]

Yeah, or if you have gauge blocks that are known to be good, just use them directly (especially if your shop has a constant temperature, if not, yes, do check them first).

[@VintageMachinery]

If you have gauge blocks, you can easily stack them together to get whatever length you want.

[@davidhoward2237]

another great video

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Good run thru.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks Randy - looking forward to seeing you at the Bash!

[@arkansas1313]

Thanks for the education. Excellent demo. ....13

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@elsdp-4560]

THANK YOU...for sharing.

[@VintageMachinery]

And THANK YOU for watching!

[@MrPragmaticLee]

Guess that isn't a 1-2-3 block if it's .812 deep. :-) Thanks for the very informative video!

[@VintageMachinery]

For whatever reason, the holes on those blocks do not go all the way through like on most.

[@MrPragmaticLee]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org well, that would explain a lot. 😄

[@jeffmoss26]

nice and informative!

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks Jeff!

[@krazziee2000]

thanks for the video

[@johnsonfriday5614]

Nice one

[@vintage76vipergreenBeetle]

👍

[@jamiebuckley1769]

im surprised that the 1-2-3 block measured 0.812 on the one inch side. that dosent seem right.

[@VintageMachinery]

The hole did not go all the way through.

[@weshowe51]

3.14, easy as Pi

[@andymandyandsheba4571]

hi keith

[@VintageMachinery]

Number two Andy - real close!!! (I am pretty sure that you still hold the record though....)

[@seanharris6982]

Mayzhur.

[@bigfatdavebigfatdave7395]

Hey Keith, i have a depth mic that I’m not sure if needs calibration. When its set to zero the pin is exactly flush with the base of the tool. When i set it on a machined surface and ratchet it down, i get a reading of .0015. The issue I’m having is that i can see the pin is extended farther than the base of the tool and can feel it when i run my finger over it. Any insight?